Planning Ahead
by scout28
Summary: Dong Shan Cai is in her last year at Ming De University and Dao Ming Si has a lot of questions about what she's going to do after graduation. What is he up to? Dao Ming Si/ Dong Shan Cai. Shan Cai POV
1. Planning Ahead

**Author's Note** : I've only watched until about episode 36 of Meteor Garden 2018 and I've made some assumptions about how the show will end. I know there are a bunch of images of them at a wedding but I wasn't sure how far into the future that would be. If they do get married before Shan Cai graduates, then I'll write a new story for that!

Shan Cai POV

"Shan Cai, what do you want to do as a nutritionist?" Dao Ming Si asks nonchalantly. We're sitting side by side at his desk in the Dao Ming Group office. The stupid boy bought a giant matching desk chair for me so that I can sit next him and work. I tell him it's stupid that he spent so much money on a chair when I don't even work for the company but secretly it's one of my favorite places to sit.

...Also, I really enjoy being able to sit next to him like this. He's such a domineering presence that sitting beside him as an equal makes me feel powerful, as if I can take on the world as long as I'm by his side.

I'm reading and writing notes in preparation for an exam and he's doing whatever it is that directors of international business conglomerations do. I know that Dao Ming Group has a very diverse portfolio but I don't care enough to learn about its every part. All I care about is its director and whether or not he's eating and sleeping well.

I pause and bite the back of my pen, "I want to work in food innovation. I want to make nutritious snacks for kids that they'll love and that's affordable."

"That's really thoughtful of you. Do you want to start a snack business?" he asks without looking up from his screen.

I go back to writing, "Not necessarily, I'm more interested in creating the snacks."

"So where do you want to work right after you graduate then? What company?"

"Hm, right after graduation I want to work at an elementary school as a nutritionist. I hear it's a great environment for new graduates and I'll learn what kids like to eat! I'm looking at elementary schools for openings."

"How long would you like to be a school nutritionist?"

I shrug, "Three years maybe?"

"So after three years you would like to start a business?"

I put my pen down and turn to look at him, "Why do you keep asking me about starting a business?"

He shrugs, "I'm working on the business plan for your snack company."

"You're making up a snack business as a mental exercise or something? Is this what you do instead of sudoku or crosswords?" I scrunch my face at him.

"No, I'm making a business plan for your future snack company," he reiterates casually.

"What?! I never planned on making a snack company!"

He raises a cock eyebrow at me, "Shan Cai, you said you want to work in food innovation for children's snack food. Don't you need a snack company to do that?"

"Dao Ming Si! I don't want to run my own business!"

"That's no problem, you can just focus on creating the product and someone else can deal with the business side of things."

"But I don't want to own a business, it's too much!" My heart starts to pound at the idea of being in charge of something like that. Sure, I've helped out with my mom's business but knowing Dao Ming Si, his plans are bigger than a small catering service.

"So what, you're going to work for some other company and make another man richer?!" he says seethingly.

"What? No, I'm not even thinking about that!" I am starting to get a migraine.

"You're going to be my wife! If you're going to use your talents anywhere, it had better me for our company!" he shoots back with folded arms.

 _Our company_? For the first time since getting engaged, I'm starting to see how our impending marriage is going to affect our professional lives. Up until this point, this marriage seemed personal to me. I'm starting to feel anxious; he really is a lot to take on.

"Dao Ming Si, I don't know what you expect of me but I don't know how I'm going to start a business. I really don't want to use your family's money to start a business that might not be successful…"

He swivels his chair to face me and he has his arms folded, "Shan Cai! Once we're married, my family's money is your money too. Besides you're going to be a Dao Ming, the business is going to be successful! We have the best financial advisor in the country working for the company - me!"

I swivel my chair to face him and fold my arms too. I roll my eyes at his cocky self-assured smirk, "Dao Ming Si! I'm not using the money your family made before we were married to start a business even though I'd be married to the country's best financial advisor!"

"Then use your own," he shrugs.

I start laughing. What money is he talking about? I can barely pay him back the 500,000 that my family borrowed ages ago. How could I possibly start a company?

"Why are you laughing? Use your own money, you can afford it!" he reaffirms.

"I can barely afford to pay rent, how am I supposed to afford the capital on a business? You have a degree in business administration, you probably know the state of my finances. How does that work?!" Now I'm starting to get really irritated. Is he making fun of my poverty?

"As your financial advisor, I can tell you that you have about 2,000,000 in your account and it's building interest steadily," he replies matter-of-factly.

I blink at him. What?

"What? How is that possible? Did you put money in my account?!" I jump out of my chair and shake my finger accusingly at him. I'm going to kill him if he put money into my account.

He puts his hands up, "I simply took the money you won from the Chinese Cuisine Cooking Contest, invested it in your name, and it's been growing interest ever since."

"Dao Ming Si! That's your money! I was paying you back!"

"I didn't see it that way. You earned that money! I didn't win a difficult competition!"

"I didn't even win!"

"You won Special Prize which is something they don't give out very often!"

"But I was paying you back! You invested your own money in my name! That's not my 2,000,000!"

"Yes it is! I don't want you to pay me back, I just want you!"

My mouth drops open, "Are you saying you paid 1,000,000 to get me?!"

"Shan Cai! Of course not! I'm saying that if your family needed 50,000,000 I would've given you the money. I told you, you're my life now and I'll do whatever is necessary to keep you happy. If your father went to jail, you'd be unhappy. It's that simple!"

This man is insane. He's talking about millions as if they were chocolates. How can I reason with him?

"We talked about this - we're supposed to be equals! You throwing all this money my way and making me reliant on you makes us unequal!" I fume.

"We are equals! We love each other and take care of each other!" he shoots back.

I rub my temples. How am I ever going to get through his thick skull? "Dao Ming Si, when you throw your money around like this, I feel inferior and powerless. That's not equal."

He stands up and grabs my shoulders, "Shan Cai, you are the most powerful woman I know. You have a willpower and determination that matches mine. You also hold my life in your hands. If you left me tomorrow and never came back, nothing would matter to me. Money is nothing compared to what I get from being with you."

And there he goes, making my heart clench in my chest again. I can live a thousand lifetimes and I still would not be able to understand why this man loves me so much. All I want to do is return what he's given me tenfold. But how can I measure up?

"Dao Ming Si, I don't think I do as much for you as you have done for me. I feel so powerless!"

"Powerless? If you told me that you hated this building, I would tear it all down the next day!"

"Dao Ming Si!"

"If you wanted me to fire everyone in Dao Ming Group, I would!"

"Dao Ming Si!"

"If you told me to leave my family, friends, and inheritance, I would in a heartbeat!"

I shake out of his grasp and push him backwards a few steps, "Dao Ming Si! I would never tell you to do any of those things! That's crazy!"

He steps forward with a smirk, "I know you wouldn't. You know that this lifestyle makes me happy. You know that I'm good at my work and don't want me to settle for anything less than my ultimate potential."

Tears spring to my eyes and I nod, "I don't want you to leave any of this just because of me! I don't want to hold you back. I want to help you but I don't know how."

He takes me into his arms and I bury my face into his chest. He says softly, "Don't you see that's what I want for you too? You've been able to do so much in life with so little. Don't you see that I'm determined to make sure you get anything your heart desires and reach your ultimate potential?"

"But you've done so much for me and I…"

"And you've done so much for me! I wasn't a man till I met you. I needed you. I continue to need you. No one makes me feel like I can do anything. Like I said before, as long as I am happy anything is possible. You make me the happiest."

I pull back without letting go and look him in the eyes. I can see the sincerity. I smile at him, "You make me so happy too. I-I just feel like I don't do anything for you."

"Shan Cai, who goes out of her way to make me delicious breakfast every morning? Who makes sure that I eat three nutritious meals a day and keeps track of my blood pressure, weight, and sodium intake? Who forces me to bed so I can have enough sleep?"

"Dao Ming Si, I…"

"Who talks to the doctor for me because I'm too stubborn to listen?" he asks.

"Of course I had to talk to the doctor! You had bronchitis but kept yelling to leave the hospital without finding out what you had to do with the medicine! You kept saying 'I'm not sick! I'm fine, it's just a stupid cough!'" I respond laughing. Stupid boy.

"Well, who makes sure that that I don't get sick? Who takes care of me every day?"

"Dao Ming Si, that's nothing compared to what you do for me. I'm studying to be a nutritionist. Of course I worry about your health."

"I have a degree in business administration and run a large company - of course I worry about your future. Don't you see, all these spreadsheets and business plans are my equivalent of you taking care of my health?"

I finally understand. These plans are not to control me; they're his affection. I smile at him, "Stupid boy."

He puts his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. I close mine. "Don't you see we need to plan for our future and protect each other?"

I nod, "But you have to start telling me about these plans. You know that I don't like not knowing what to expect, it makes me nervous…"

Suddenly, he pulls back and grabs my shoulders again. Gone is the gentleman and the ill-tempered adolescent has returned. "Were you planning on running away again, stupid girl?!"

"Stupid boy! I told you I wasn't going to run away again!"

"You better not! I'll call the police again and this time I'll let them put you in jail!"

"Dao Ming Si!" I slap his chest hard and he flinches. "You better not! If I get a police record, no one will want to do business with us!"

"Us?" he echoes with a cocky smile.

Oops. I guess I didn't need that much time to get used to the idea of being a Dao Ming. I look down embarrassed, "Yes, we're getting married and people will see us as a unit and I don't to make us look bad…"

He lifts my chin and I see he has a hungry look in his eyes. Well, if he's hungry, what kind of fiance would I be if I didn't feed him? I close my eyes and prepare to be kissed. He takes my face into his hands and puts his lips over mine.

I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him closer. His lips are so addicting. I try to refrain from asking for kisses but he doesn't hold back at all. He tries to kiss me everywhere - especially at inappropriate locations! We get lost in our passionate kiss and forget that that we're in his office.

A throat clears loudly at the door and we pull away. Standing by the door is his blushing secretary. "Sir, um, I need your signature on a few documents. Should I come back later?" she asks nervously.

As he shouts "Yes!", I say "No!" and pull away from him. He looks at me disgruntled but I push him down into his chair. I pick up his pen and hand it to him. I gesture for the secretary to come over and she quickly steps forward.

She smiles gratefully at me as he reviews the documents and signs at the right spots. He's grumbling but he's doing it. I smile back; I know how scary he seems when he deals with other people. I'm scared of him too sometimes but for different reasons.

He scares people because he's domineering and controlling. He scares me because of how much he wants me. His temper doesn't faze me, I match it with my own. But when we're alone and there's a bed nearby… he scares me. He really knows how to cut through my defenses and make me want him back. It scares me how much I desire him in those moments.

When he finishes up, he sits back and tells his secretary that he wants to be notified as soon as the documents have been delivered. He folds his arms and glares at her back as she scurries out of the room. I slap his arm and he yelps. "She interrupted us! She should know better!" he complains.

"Dao Ming Si, you're at work and not at home. It's her job to interrupt you when you're not focused on work!"

"But she should know that when I'm with you, I don't like to be bothered!"

"Stop complaining! You should get back to work anyway and I need to continue studying!"

He puts his hands on the arms of his chair suddenly and he looks like he's about to pounce. He has a mischievous grin on his face and I know I'm in trouble. "I'll get back to work as soon as I get a reward for those important signatures," he says with faux innocence. Oh no, I know what kind of rewards he likes.

Before I can turn and run away, he grabs me and pulls me into his lap! I scream but he covers my mouth with his. I continue to struggle out of his arms but I'm giggling too much to put up a good fight. Finally, I'm able to pull my head away and come up for air. "Dao Ming Si! I'm still mad at you for all the secret planning you've been doing! I don't want to kiss you!" I yell playfully.

He grabs my chin and looks into my eyes with a naughty glint, "If you're mad about those plans then I should probably tell you about the plans I made for our five kids!"

"FIVE! Are you cr-" he cuts me off with another searing kiss.


	2. Ms Shan Cai

**Author's Note:** I watch the full eps of the show as they appear on Netflix but I also religiously watch the subbed spoiler vids on IG and Twitter to stay sane. At this point, ep 41 is up and I'm not even going to watch that till ep 43 is out too! My heart can't take it. That being said, I'll need to end this particular run soon because it's definitely not going to be canon. If you've seen the spoiler vids or live in Asia, you'll know what I'm talking about…

Also, leave a comment if you can! Would love to hear your thoughts!

 **Disclaimer:** I love _A Love So Beautiful_ and Jiang Chen but since _Meteor Garden 2018_ , I've switched my allegiances to Dao Ming Si. There's a slight jab at Jiang Chen in this but know I'm only doing it for fun!

 **Shan Cai POV**

I'm so exhausted as I wait outside an elevator of the Dao Ming Group office with my small suitcase. I just got back from visiting my parents at the fishing village for a week and I went directly to the office to surprise Dao Ming Si. He's expecting me to come back in two days. Can't wait to see the look on his stupid face!

When the elevator opens, the six people inside stare at me open mouthed. Strange.

"Ms. Shan Cai, you're back! How was your trip?" one male occupant says enthusiastically as they alit from the elevator. I mumble that it was fine and look at him suspiciously. How did he know I was gone?

"Ms. Shan Cai, allow me to take your bag into the elevator for you!" another man says. He takes my suitcase and rolls it ahead of me. I'm in a daze as I step into the elevator. How do these people know who I am? I don't think we've been introduced.

"Ms. Shan Cai, allow me to push the button for you!" a female employee says excitedly as she sticks half her body in and pushes the button to the top floor. "I'm so happy to see that you're back, Ms. Shan Cai! You look well!"

I look _well_? I look down at my body. I'm wearing rumpled clothes and my hair is in a messy ponytail. My shoes are covered in mud because of all the rain we've been getting. I have rings under eyes from lack of sleep this past week. I'm a mess!

Before the elevator closes, I notice that all the people who were waiting with me don't get in. I press the button that keeps the elevator doors open and ask, "Are any of you coming in?"

One person replies, "Oh we'll take the next one! The elevator is already full!" The rest nod their heads in agreement.

I raise an eyebrow and slowly look around the empty elevator. I look back at them incredulously. I'm 160 cm and my suitcase is tiny. The elevator can easily fit another six to eight people. What is going on?

I let go of the button and step back. Right before the elevator closes the strangest thing of all occurs. All the employees who were outside the elevator and more are standing with their arms on their sides and looking at me with huge smiles. I feel like I'm watching an airline commercial.

Then, as if they had been rehearsing, they all say "WELCOME BACK, MS. SHAN CAI!" and bow!

Why are they bowing?!

Before I could ask what's happening, the elevator doors close. Outside I hear shouts of celebration and clapping.

What is going on? Am I dreaming? Did I fall asleep on the bus? I pinch myself to

confirm that I am indeed awake. Why are the employees acting so strangely?

On the way up the elevator stops twice on two different floors and each time the people who were waiting for the elevator say they'll take the next one when they saw me. Do I smell or something? I surreptitiously sniff my clothes and armpits. I don't think I smell.

When the elevator gets to the top, I shake my head to refocus. Maybe this is just another one of those things I have to get used to now that I'm with Dao Ming Si. Wow, do they treat him like this all the time?

I walk towards Dao Ming Si's office doors and the receptionist looks up as I approach. She is surprised, "Ms. Shan Cai! We weren't expecting you for another two days!" She springs up from her chair and rushes to open the security door for me.

Although she seems extra excited to see me, this isn't completely unexpected. Before I left, I used to see her everyday. What is strange is that she's opening the door for me and practically rushing me in.

I look over at Dao Ming Si's office and see that he's not there. I walk over to the Secretary Choi and she looks up when I approach. She looks different.

As the director's secretary, she schedules his appointments, writes memos for him, and generally acts as the last barrier between him and other people. Dao Ming Si's secretary is very good at her job which is why she was asked to stay on when his predecessor vacated the position. She's in her mid-thirties and she's always so mature and well-dressed.

Today, however, she doesn't look as put-together. I'm not one to judge people by their looks but she doesn't seem like herself. Her hair is in a messy bun and her skin is a bit oily. She looks really tired and stressed out. When she sees me, she jumps up from her chair and I see that her blouse isn't fully tucked into her slacks.

"Ms. Shan Cai! You're here! Would you like to see Director Dao Ming?" she asks coming around her desk and grabbing my suitcase.

"Yes, is he available?" I reply.

"He just got into a meeting in the conference room but I'll call him out to see you!"

I shake my head, "Oh don't do that! I'll see him after. I'm going to freshen up in the private suite."

She smiles nervously, "Are you sure you don't want to see him right now? Maybe you can text him?" We're already walking in the direction of the suite.

I scrunch my brows at her suggestions, "Yes, I'll just meet him in the private suite. I need to shower anyway. And I actually can't text right now. My phone fell into the ocean a few days ago when I went on a boat ride with my family." I giggle at the memory but the secretary's face grows solemn.

"You didn't get a replacement?"

"No, I wanted to wait till I got back to Shanghai because I knew the selections would be better. There's no point in buying two phones anyway," I explain.

She nods wistfully and sighs, "Oh I see. This explains a lot actually."

"Explains what?"

She looks around checking to see if anyone is listening then she says, "Ms. Shan Cai, the director has been very moody and scary the last few days. His temper was unbelievable and no one knew exactly why. We figured it had something to do with you - a rumor even went around that you two broke up! Can I just say how glad I am that isn't true!"

My eyes widen. I am very aware of his temper and how bad it could be but I didn't realize he would lash out at his employees. "Rest assured that we're done breaking up! We've broken up enough in this lifetime. What has that stupid boy done?" I ask exasperated.

She looks around again as if expecting Dao Ming Si to jump out of a corner wielding an axe. We're standing right outside the private suite when she whispers, "For one, it's been really hard to talk to him. He just yells and people are afraid to talk to him about anything. He even held a bunch of us back for hours to finish a project they could've been finished the next day. We didn't leave till after midnight and we still had to be in the office by 8:00 AM the next day! He also looks like he hasn't been eating or sleeping. Even though everyone is afraid of him, they're worried about him too."

"I told him that he needed to take care of himself while I was gone!"

"He did but I think when your phone fell into the water, his mood changed. The worst thing he did while you were gone was fire two people off the creative team downstairs for apparently using colors that offended him!" she reports.

I close my eyes in disappointment and rub my temples. Dao Ming Si is a full-time job; I should've anticipated this fallout. He's always been so cagey about being able to contact me or at least keeping track of where I was but this has a been a learning experience. To be fair, I hated being unable to talk to him as easily too but I had my parents and their friends as distractions for the last few days. I texted him before bed using my mother's phone but I guess that wasn't enough.

I take a deep breath and put my hand on the Secretary Choi's shoulder, "Call those two employees and tell them to come to work tomorrow. Let them know they'll be compensated for the days they've missed."

She gasps, "But what about Director Dao Ming?"

"I'll deal with him," I say, cracking my knuckles.

A huge smile spreads across her face, "I'll call them immediately! I'm so happy you're back!" She hurries away a few steps before turning around and saying, "Ms. Shan Cai, next time you go on a trip, please let me know. I want to take a vacation!"

I laugh and reply, "I will. Although, I'll probably have to bring Dao Ming Si next time I leave. He obviously needs a babysitter."

She laughs and walks away.

I punch in the long code to the private suite, which happens to be the birthdays of F4 and myself, and step inside. The suite has a full bathroom, a leather couch that converts into a bed, a small dining table with chairs, and a walk-in closet. The closet has suits and tuxedos in case he has an emergency dinner meeting or event. Much like his closet at home, there are dresses for me.

We had a fight about those dresses. When I first saw them, I thought he was cheating on me. When I accused him of cheating he said, "Stupid girl! Look at those dresses. They were tailor-made for a violent tiny woman who likes to accuse her handsome and loyal fiance for nothing!" I looked at the dresses and saw that they were sized perfectly for me. I remembered that Xi Men had taken my measurements for the cheongsam and probably sent them over to Dao Ming Si's tailor. Woops.

I was still mad that he spent so much money on dresses though but he pointed out that if I was to attend events with him, I wouldn't feel as self-conscious if I had a well-made outfit on. He was right, the dresses really did make me feel like I fit in with his crowd. It also helps that his suits and my dresses match. How can I be mad about that?

I open my suitcase on the coffee table, pull out some clothes, and take them to the shower. I love this bathroom. Dao Ming Si is so high maintenance that his office bathroom is about the same as his home bathroom. I feel like I can spend hours in here! After a longer than necessary shower, I step out and wrap myself in a towel. I'm wiping the condensation from the mirror when the bathroom door bursts open.

"SHAN CAI!" Dao Ming Si shouts with a huge grin on his face.

"DAO MING SI!" I scream as I clutch the top of the towel with both hands.

He rushes over to me and envelopes me in a hug so tight that he picks me up and my feet dangle. With one hand still clutching the towel, I use the other to slap his chest, "Dao Ming Si! I'm only in a towel! Let me go!"

He puts me down but he's still staring at me with a cheeky grin. Then his expression changes to annoyance, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back early? I could've picked you up from the bus station!"

"I wanted to surprise you! What kind of surprise would it be if I warned you?" I argue back.

He folds his arms, "I would've been just as surprised if you had TEXTED me and told me you were coming back but I guess you couldn't do that!"

"Of course I couldn't text," I roll my eyes at him. "Let's fight about my phone after I finish getting dressed!" I say as I push him out of the bathroom with one hand.

"Why are you being so shy? It's not like I haven't seen you in less-" he starts to say but I cut him off.

"Get out! I need some time to myself, I missed you and want to talk but I don't want to do that without any clothes on, stupid boy!"

"You missed me?" he says shyly outside the doorway and in reply I slam the door in his face. The idiot. Of course, I missed him.

I quickly change into a light sweater and jeans. I take a deep breath and prepare for battle.

In the suite, Dao Ming Si is playing with his phone. He looks up when I enter and he has a sour look on his face. So it begins.

"Stupid girl! Are you five? How did you drop your phone into the water?" he scolds from the couch. He has taken off his blazer and tie. If he wasn't so angry, I would appreciate how handsome he looks in a plain white button down shirt.

"Stupid boy, we were on a boat and the water was choppy! I was trying to record a video for QZone and I dropped my phone into the ocean. What, should I have dived in and gotten it?" I yell back.

"What? You were in a boat when the weather was bad? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

"The weather turned bad when we were already on the boat and we were on our way back!" I stand over him with my arms folded.

"Then why didn't you buy a phone there?" he asks.

I roll my eyes, "Because they don't have a great selection out there and I wanted to wait till I got back to buy a replacement. What's the point of having two phones?"

"Well, now you have three phones," he says and gestures to the coffee table. He moved my suitcase and replaced it with three phone boxes.

"Dao Ming Si! Did you buy me three phones?" I ask horrified.

"Of course! Next time you go on vacation without me, you're bringing at least one of them as backup!"

"That's too much! I didn't ask you to buy me a phone, I was going to get one myself!"

"Why were you OK with me buying you a phone when we first met but now you're not?"

"You stepped on my phone with your stupid green shoes! You actually broke my phone, of course you needed to replace it!"

He glares at me silently for a moment then says, "So you're not going to take it?"

I sit down on the couch next to him and say, "Of course I'm going to take it but only ONE. I won't lose or break this one. I just don't like it when you spend so excessively like this. You had better return the other two!"

He smiles triumphantly, "Good! They're all the same phone but I got them in different colors. They're the same kind of phone that I have and I upgraded them with a special GPS locator."

"All smartphones have GPS, why did you have to upgrade these?" I ask distractedly. I'm opening each of the boxes and marveling at the colors. He got rose gold, pink, and white. Wow, how am I going to decide?

"Most phones have a GPS locator that users can turn on and off. You can't turn off this locator," he says smugly.

"Dao Ming Si! Are you my stalker now?!"

"Yes! You don't know what it was like being worried about you this whole time. At least if you're too busy to talk or text, I'll always know where you are! Now, if I need to know where you are, I can log into an app and find out."

"So it's OK for you to know where I am all the time but not for me?" I challenge.

He rolls his eyes, "I upgraded my phone too. You can know where I'm at all the time too."

"Aren't you scared that I'm going to catch you with your mistress?" I tease.

"SHAN CAI! I would never cheat on you! I told you, I don't even look at other women. You're the only one I'm going to be with in this lifetime," he shouts slamming a fist on the coffee table.

Most women would be scared if they saw Dao Ming Si this angry, I think it's funny. I laugh and touch the side of his face lovingly, "Stupid boy, I know that. I'm only teasing."

He calms down and holds my hand to his face, "Can we stop fighting for a while and kiss already? You said you missed me."

I nod and close my eyes. He leans in quickly and kisses me deeply. He pushes me towards the back of the couch and crouches over me. One of his hands goes to my hip and the other one is behind my head. He may not have said that he missed me too but he's definitely showing me he did!

Suddenly, he pulls away. When I open my eyes, I see that he's mad again. Oh, what now?

"Who is he?" he asks menacingly.

I scrunch my face, "Who?"

"The guy in the last picture you sent me before your phone went swimming. Is he your relative?"

"What picture are you talking about? I sent you a lot of pictures before I lost my phone."

He pulls out his phone and searches for the picture in question. When he finds it, he flips the phone over and puts it in my face. I push his hand away a little so I can actually look at the photo. It's a group picture of me, my parents, and their friends. I'm standing off to one side with my arm around my mother. It takes a second but I realize he's talking about the guy who was standing behind me. He's not looking at the camera but down at my head. Didn't notice that before.

"Oh that's Jin Chang. He's the son of one of my parents' friends; he was visiting too. He's a doctor in Beijing," I explain. Why is he so mad over that guy?

"So while you weren't texting me, you were talking to this lame guy?" he yells.

"Dao Ming Si! I barely talked to him, I spent most of my time with my parents! I only saw him twice - the day on the boat ride and last night when everyone gathered for dinner before I left. Honestly, he was kind of boring. He only had three facial expressions," I reply.

He glares at me, "Did you see the comments on that photo on QZone?"

"Of course I didn't! I didn't have my phone!"

He looks through his phone again and looks up my QZone profile. He clicks on the picture and scrolls through the comments. In a high-pitched mocking tone he reads, "Oh so handsome, Shan Cai! How did you get so lucky - first Dao Ming Si and now this guy?! Oooh so tall, Shan Cai, is that your new boyfriend? Wow, Shan Cai, you two look so good together! Shan Cai, what a handsome man! What-"

I cut him off, "Stop reading that! No wonder you've been mean to everyone here. You were jealous!" I grab the phone and closed the app. "Jin Chang is no one to me. I only know about him being a doctor because his parents were boasting."

"Did you tell him about me? Or did you keep me a secret?!" he accuses.

"Of course! His parents told me he was single and asked me if I was single. I told them I was engaged and showed my ring. Then my parents started talking about you and Dao Ming Group and how young you were for a director. They even talked about your international bridge awards with F4! My mom started passing around pictures of you and I almost died. I was mortified but yes we did talk about you," I say in exasperation.

He sits back on the couch and folds his arms. He's pouting and looking away from me. I grab his face with both of my hands; he struggles a little but eventually lets me turn his head. "Listen, stupid boy, I only have enough room in my heart for one man and it's you. I'm not going to go to Beijing and marry some emotionless doctor. What can I do to make you feel better?"

He perks up and says, "Post a new picture of the two of us."

I raise an eyebrow, "So that's all it takes to make you feel better?" He nods and I agree, "OK, then let's take the picture but only after you shower and eat. You look like you lost weight! Have you been eating?"

"I have been eating but everything doesn't taste right. The cook doesn't know how to make my breakfast!"

"I told him how I make your breakfast, I bet it tasted the same. You better eat or I'll break up with you!" I threaten.

"Fine, I'll eat!" he responds.

"Good, then go take a shower and I'll go out and grab some food. For some reason I've been craving-" I tell him but he cuts me off.

"No, you just got back! I'll have the secretary send someone to get us food. It's raining and you might get sick," he says stubbornly.

Deciding to choose my battles carefully, I acquiesce, "OK, we'll have the Secretary Choi get us food but I'll be the one to tell her. Now go take a shower!"

When he finally stomps off to the bathroom, I press the intercom on the coffee table and call the secretary. I ask her if she can order food for us and she happily agrees. I give her our order and she tells me she'll send for it it right away.

While waiting for Dao Ming Si, I look at the phones again and decide on the rose gold. I'm so focused on my new phone that I don't hear Dao Ming Si coming out of the bathroom. I only notice him when he's already standing in front of me. I look up and see that he's only wearing a towel around his waist and a smirk.

"Dao Ming Si! Go put on clothes - you're at the office!" I scold. I'm trying not be distracted by his wet hair which falls charmingly around his forehead.

"So what? I saw you in a towel, this is only fair," he replies cockily.

"You walked in on me - that's not the same. Go put on clothes!"

"Let's take the picture now, go put your towel back on," he says wiggling his eyebrows.

"DAO MING SI! We are not taking a picture in towels! If you don't change, I won't upload a picture at all!"

He laughs then leans in to kiss my forehead. "I've missed you, bossy woman," he says softly and walks away. I flush.

When he's finally dressed and his hair is perfectly coiffed, he joins me on the couch. He puts his arm around me and cuddles me while I continue to play with my new phone. We spend a few minutes in this position before the intercom buzzer goes off. I jump to press the button and the secretary's voice comes through, "Your food is here! I'll send the delivery boy over to drop it off." She sounds more like herself than she did this morning which makes me happy.

A moment later, there's a knock at the door. "Let's get the food!" I say excitedly as I get up.

He rolls his eyes but stands up too. I walk ahead of him and throw open the door. "Ms. Shan Cai! H-here is the food you ordered. Please l-let me know if anything is missing and I'll go get it!" the young man at the door stutters.

"That won't be necessary, I'm sure that's more than enough food. Thank you for getting it for us!" I say as I take the bags out of his hands. It smells so good, I'm salivating. I hand over the bags to Dao Ming Si who dutifully accepts them.

"G-good afternoon, Director Dao Ming," the young man says nervously and bows. He almost looks like he's getting ready to be hit. Dao Ming Si has a blank expression and just he nods at the him. The young man turns to look at me again and pulls out a small container out of his messenger bag, "Ms. Shan Cai, we heard that your favorite place to eat is Rabbit Hole so we got you this as a welcome back gift."

I take the clear container and see it has a giant piece of rolled up white sponge cake filled with buttercream. "Thank you so much! I love Rabbit Hole! It's been so long since I've had time to go there; I'm going to really enjoy this dessert!" I exclaim.

He gives me a pleased toothy smile. He looks over at Dao Ming Si and his expression changes back to fear. I look at Dao Ming Si and see that he's practically snarling at the poor boy. The green-eyed monster is always beneath the surface with my fiance.

"Ugh, I h-hope you b-both have a wonderful meal! I have to get back to work," he says before bowing swiftly and rushing away.

I turn to Dao Ming Si and punch his arm. He stumbles a little, "OW! Your punches hurt you know!"

"Stop being so mean to your employees! I heard you fired two people from your creative team for no good reason!" I scold and pinch his ear to lead him to the dining table.

"Owww! I did have a good reason - I hated the colors they chose in their presentation. How can they be in the creative team if they can't choose good colors?!" he says as he puts the food down on the table.

"Did they steal money from the company? Did they sell trade secrets to the competiton? Did they leak sensitive information to the press?" I ask.

"Of course not!"

"Then you can't fire them! What was wrong with the color they chose?"

He silently pulls the food out of the bags before sitting down and crossing his arms. "Their color scheme reminded me of the sweater you wore when you broke up with me in the rain," he skulks.

Now, everything is really starting to make sense. First, he was unable to get ahold of me for days. Then he saw the comments on the picture. Finally, he saw something that reminded him of a day that was mutually traumatizing for us both. He has definitely been through a lot. To make matters worse, he hasn't been eating or sleeping well. He may seem like he's invulnerable but his heart is very sensitive.

I sit in his lap and wrap my arms around his neck loosely, "They didn't know that. You can't fire them for something they didn't know. I'm back for good, you can stop worrying. Remember, we're stuck together forever." I kiss his cheek which solicits a shy smile from his lips. He wraps his arms around my body tightly and I put my head on his shoulder.

Our sweet moment is interrupted by our stomachs growling. We look down at our stomachs and then at each other and say at the same time, "That was you!" We laugh and turn towards the assortment of dumplings and fried noodlesI was craving. Without getting out of his lap, we eat and occasionally feed each other.

After the meal is over, we go over to the couch and continue cuddling. He insists on taking a picture for QZone. With his arms around me from behind, I snap several pictures then let his imperial highness Dao Ming Si choose his favorite. He chooses the one where he's looking into the camera and I'm holding and kissing his face. He probably likes it because my engagement ring is so prominent. I upload it with the caption, "So happy to be home!"

Our short period of relaxation soon comes to an end when his phone tells him that he has another meeting to attend in a few minutes. "Dao Ming Si, before you go, I want you to know that I told the secretary to call the two employees you fired and tell them to come back to work tomorrow," I inform him expecting him to fight. As always, I'm ready.

Instead of arguing, howeve, he says, "I'll reinstate them if you give me a kiss - one for each employee."

"Oh well, if I must," I complain playfully. I grab his face, give him a lingering kiss on his lips, then pull back. "One," I count then I lean in and give him another. I pull back, "Two. There, now all the employees who have been fired are rehired!"

With a mischievous smile, he leans over to the intercom and presses the button to the secretary, "Secretary Choi, I need you to fire 200 employees immediately!"

"DAO MING SI!"


	3. Late Phone Call - DMS POV

**Author's Note** : I'm going to end this one here! I've been watching previews of the new eps next week and I want to start writing stuff based on that. Thank you for reading! Comments are always welcome!

 **Dao Ming Si POV**

Ting ting tinggg

Ting ting tinggg

Ting ting tinggg

"Dao Ming Si, turn off your phone," Shan Cai groans as she burrows her face into my bare chest.

I struggle to open my eyes and look over at the bedside table where our phones are. Shan Cai is sleeping on my arm closest to the table so I reach over her with my free hand and grab the phone. As I'm about to bring the phone to my face to look at the screen, the ringing stops. It takes a moment but I see that the background of this phone is my face.

I didn't receive an emergency call at 2 in the morning, Shan Cai did.

"Shan Cai, it was your phone," I say looking down at her head.

"What?" she says, her head shooting up and bumping my chin in the process.

"Ow! Your huge head just broke my chin!"

She ignores me, sits up, and grabs the phone from my hand. I sit up too, rubbing my chin. I don't understand how this woman can be so concerned about me when I'm in the hospital but also be the personal cause of all my daily injuries.

She squints at the phone, "It's a new number. It's not my parents or any of our friends. Maybe somebody accidentally called my phone? Hold on, I'm getting a text message."

I place my head in the crook of her neck as she opens the text. She's wearing one of my T-shirts and the neck is too wide for her. One side is slipping down her shoulder which is where my head is conveniently situated. She's so warm, I just want us to go back to sleep… My eyes drift close…

"Jin Chang?" she questions and my eyes shoot open. I sit up more fully and grab her phone back.

The text message reads:

 _Shan Cai! This is Jin Chang. So happy to hear you got a new phone! I hope you don't mind, I asked your parents for your number. I'm in Shanghai for a job interview and was hoping you can show me around and have dinner. My treat! I called but I guess you were sleeping_

My jaw tightens. Why was he calling and texting at two in the morning?!

"Good for him, he said he wanted to move closer to his parents. I'll text him in the morning. Let's go back to sleep," she says then promptly yawns.

She may be sleepy, but my blood pressure is up and I can't sleep now. This guy can't be trusted.

I grab her shoulders and shake her, "Shan Cai! You can't hang out with this guy!"

"What? Why?" she says tiredly.

I turn on the bedside light, "Don't see you that he doesn't have innocent intentions towards you?!"

She squints at me, "Why did you turn on the light?"

"Shan Cai! Pay attention! Jin Chang is not trying to be your friend! He has bad intentions!" I say, frustrated that she can't see through his ploys.

"Dao Ming Si, he probably doesn't know anyone in Shanghai and wants to see a familiar face. I'll text him in the morning so can we please go back to sleep now?" She wraps her arms around my neck and tiredly attempts to push me back down.

I pull her arms from around my neck. I can't be distracted right now, I need her to know that he's a creep and she shouldn't be alone with him!

"Shan Cai! When a man calls and text at this hour, he only has one thing on his mind," I explain.

"What? Stop yelling. You used to call and text me around this time, what's the big deal?" she replies with closed eyes.

"EXACTLY MY POINT! The difference is that I was your boyfriend, I'm allowed to have these thoughts and bother you with them at 2 in the morning! This doctor is trying to exploit your kindness!"

"Dao Ming Si, I don't care about this guy. If he tries to do anything with me, I'll beat him up," she yawns.

"SHAN CAI! You can't have dinner with him, I won't allow it!"

She opens one eye at me and says incredulously, "You won't allow it? Really?"

I gulp. I'm stepping into dangerous territory. I can tell she's starting to wake up and I may have a real fight on my hands. "What I mean is, I don't think this guy can be trusted. He purposely called first knowing that the ringing would wake you up. Then he texted. That's what I used to do! I don't like the idea of you being alone with him," I backtrack.

She glares, "Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you! I don't trust him!"

"Then trust that I can handle myself! If I was able to fight off the great Dao Ming Si for so long, don't you think I can fend for myself against this guy?"

"You're being stupid! We don't what he's capable of! We don't how lonely and desperate this guy is and-"

She cuts me off, "I'm being stupid? You know what's really stupid? Waking up your fiance in the middle of the night to argue. Your fiance who has an eight o'clock class. Your fiance who's going to meet up with your sister after class for lunch then do final fittings for your wedding. Your fiance who's going straight to your office after to get ready for dinner with F4 for Meizuo's birthday. Your fiance who has a full day scheduled and wouldn't have any time anyway to meet up with Jin Chang!"

My eyes widen. I didn't even realize how busy she would be tomorrow. The indignation is quickly sapped from my body. "Oh," is all I say in reply.

"Now that we have that sorted, turn off the light, lie down, and let me sleep!" she yells.

I quickly turn off the light and lie back down, opening my arms for her. She promptly puts her head back on my chest and wraps an arm around my body. "Blanket!" she commands. I obediently pull the comforter over us, pulling it just over her shoulders so that her head was still out.

I hear her mumble against my chest, "Stupid idiot boy...trying to fight...beat him up in the morning…"

Soon her breathing evens out and she's fast asleep. I kiss the top of her head adoringly. My precious white pig is very tough but I can't help wanting to protect her all the time. I love her more than life itself. If I ever see that Jin Chang in person, I'm going to beat him up for even attempting to take her away from me.

We've been through so much, the idea of another obstacle to our happiness really pisses me off.

Now that I know that he won't have a chance to see her, my mind drifts to happier thoughts: our future. We're getting married in two weeks! Soon she'll graduate and after a few years will work for Dao Ming Group. And, when she's ready, we're going to have at least three kids. Originally, I wanted five but she negotiated down to three.

I hug her tightly and she reflexively does the same in her sleep. Soon I join the woman I love most in this world in restful sleep...


End file.
